spiro



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

G. Smm.

TYPE WMTING MACHINE.

Nm 381,652. Patented Apr. 24, 1888. DE?. l-

WIT/VESSES.'

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. SPIRO,

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. 180.381,652. PatentedApr. 24, 1888.

ATTORNEY.

N. PETERS. mma-mm-Wphm, wawrvgwn. n. C.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

C. SPIRO. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 381,652. Patented Apl. 24, 1888.

E7' 3 7 I xw"n."l4" W -\/?^v f a P C? f i *Ng if j /ffgw /l gg 'i il P UNiTnn STnTiLs lP'inTeNT CHARLES SPIRO, OF NINV YORK, N. Y.

TYPE=WR|TiNG iVACl-HNE.

SPECIECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381,652, dated April 24, 18538.

Application filed Septemh'r, 1835.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, CHARLES Srtno, a citizen ofthe United States. residing at New York, in the county oi" New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ty1ie-Vr-iting Machines, of which the following is aspecitication,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to type writers of that class known as whcel-1nachines,and the term wheel,77 as used, includes disks, cylinders, slceves,.and segments provided with priming-characters on their pcripheries, which characters are selected for giving impressions by mechanical devices which serve to oscillate or rotate the wheel, cylinder, or segment, or which serve to reciprocate a sleeve. Other mechanical devices are employed in the class ot' machines referred to for the purpose of either giving motion to the wheel or its equi valent device, or to the paper-carriage, or to a hammer for the purpose of taking an A impression from the type selected.

Heretofore slcevemaehines have been constructed wherein the sleeve provided with printingcharactcrs has been rot-ated wholly or partially on its axis and reeiprocated longitudinally thereon in both directions to select a desired printing-character,and bodily moved at an angle to its anis l'or the purpose of giving an impression. So, also, segments and wheels have been similarly operated by means of keys answering cach to one of theprint-ingcharacters upon the periphery of the segment or wheel.

In wheelmachiues as heretofore constructed and operated difficulty has arisen in the provision of devices in overcoming the momentum acquired by the wheel in changing from one position to another, so that a complicated system of stops has been employed, and the number of parts of a machine has thereby been increased.

Among the objeclsofmy invention are to provide a wheelniachine which shall loe simple in construction, and in which the momentum of the wheel in changing from one position to another shall be reduced to a minimum.

Other objects and advantages of my inveir tion will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will he particularly pointed ont in the claims.

Serial No. 178,217. (No model.)

Referring to the drawingsieure l is a plan, Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 a bottom View, ol'a machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line .e of Fig. 3. is avertical section of the type wheel and its standard. Fig. 5b is a detail of the inking mechanism. Fig. 6 is a plan, Fig. 7 a front elevation, and Fig. 8 a vertical section, cfa modified arrangement of some of the principal elements of my invention. Fig. 9 is a front View, partly in section, of the carriage and feed mechanism.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the iigures of the drawings. n

A represents a suitable base or table, above which are supported the ways B of the papercarriage and platen C.

D represents the keys, which are arranged under the base, mounted at their inner ends upon a rod, D', (sce Fig. 3,) each key being provided with a coiled or other spring, D, for the purpose of elevating the free end of the key, as usual.

Upon the keyshaft D is mounted a feedbail, E, which passes beneath thc keys, so that 'a depression of anyone of the series of keys depresses the feed-bail, and a connecting-rod, E', which passes upwardly through the bed and is attached to an arm4 of a rock-shaft., El, (see Fig. 4,) to a second vertical arm, E, of which is rigidly secured a check-pawl, E*,(see Fig. 2,) and to the same vertical arm is pivotally secured a feed-pawl, E5, which,by means of a spring, E", Fig. 4, is made to take into and is permitted to pass over one or more teeth of the rack-bar C of the paper-carriage. rlhe feed-pawl is provided with a projection disposed in an opposite direction from its op erative tooth, which proj ection4 comes into contact with the standard El, which serves to hold the operative tooth of the pawl entirely free from the rack when the feed-bail is cornpletely depressed in order that the carriage may be completely removed or moved hy hand independently of the pawls.

The motive power for moving the carriage from right to left is derived from a spring, E, secured to the upright arm of the rockshaft and to a fixed part of the machine, whereby when a key is depressed said rockshaft tends to stretch said spring, that by its resiliency, and after the feedpawl has taken into an advanced tooth of the rack of the carriage, the carriage may be moved for the purpose of spacing between letters and words. The next bail in advance of the feed-bail is the liftingbail F, which is pivoted to a transverse shaft, G, and is arranged beneath the keys. Pivoted in a standard, F', is a lifting-lever, F2, the short arm of which is projected beneath the bail F, and the long arm of which is projected to the front and beneath the type-wheel shaft, for a purpose hereinafter described. Upon the same shaft G, and arranged in front thereof, are two bails, H and I, which constitute in their construction and operation what may be designated as a compound bail, andl these, by means of springs H and 1, are held upwardly against the lower edges of the keylevers.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the bail H is higher on the right than the bail I and lower on the left than said bail I, and that the bail I is higher on the left and lower on the right than the bail H, and, further, that each of said bails is notched beneath each key-lever, as shown at H2 and I2, respectively.

From the bail'H there is an arm, H3, extendedA rearwardly and then bent upwardly toward lthe bed of the machine. A similar arm, I, is arranged on the bail I. For the simple purpose of strengthening the arms and bails the arms are also pivoted on the shaft G.

The system of key-levers is notched or otherwise made irregular in shape at such points as come in contact with the several bails in the machine, so that at different times during the depression of any one of the levers the bails are successively operated thereby.`

Immediately in front of the platen C is arranged the type-wheel J, having upon its .periphery and in three circumferential sections thereof a series of printing-characters, the capitals occupying one section, J', the small letters occupying an adjacent section, J2, and the punctuation-marks, figures, and other characters occupying the third section, J3. The characters in each section are arranged in three circumferential rows, so that the entire alphabet of uppercase letters is in one section and the entire alphabet of lower-case letters in an adjacent section on the periphery of the type-wheel. By this arrangement of the printingfcharacters a wheel of small diameter is made available, whereby momentum is materially reduced. The wheel, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is substantially.two-thirds full size. The wheel in the full-sized machine is about one inch in diameter, while the periphery is about seven-eighths of an inch wide. Of course these dimensions can be increased or diminished in proportion to the size of the printingcharacters employed.

By providing mechanism for elevating and depressing the wheel, so as to bring each one of the three circumferential lines of printingcharacters thereon opposite the printing-point, and by providing means for partially rotating the wheel to such a distance as will cause oneto say, by the provision ofa hammer to force` the paper against the type, or of devices for` swinging the platen against the type; or, as I have illustrated and will hereinafter describe, by the provision of devices for tilting or throwing the wheel against the platen, characters may be printed as desired.

I will first describe the means for elevating the type-wheel to present either of the rows of characters thereon to the printing-held. The wheel J is mounted on a shaft, J4, which extends downwardly beneath the bed of the machine and immediately over the long arm of the lifting-lever F2. The shaft J4 is circumferentially grooved, as shown at J5, Fig. 5, so that when the wheel is inclined to make the impression one or the other of said groovesis made to embrace a xed stud, J, projecting into the path of the shaft and entering the groove either directly in front of the shaft or at a side thereof, as desired, the latter being preferable, as it does not interfere with the complete inclination of the wheel and satisfactory impressions by the characters thereon.

Now it will be readily understood that when the lifting-bail is depressed to a greater or less distance by any one of the keys thereover, said key being notched to determine the extent of the depression of the bail, one of the three grooves J5 (in accordance with one of the three circumferential rows of printingcharacters upon the wheel) willA be brought opposite the stud J6, and that during the tilting of the wheel toward the platen said groove will be brought into immediate` contact with the stud J6.

To permit of the tilting of the type-wheel, ils shaft is mounted in a standard, K, which is pivoted in brackets K', mounted upon the bed of the machine. Upon the shaft J4 and near its lower end is a locking-wheel, L, and depending from the bed of the machine, or, if desired, from the stud J, secured thereto, is a locking-bracket, L', the function of which is to enter between the teeth of the lockingwheel, which rotates with the type-wheel and the shaft to prevent oscillation of a printingcharacter when once selected. By means of the stud J6 and bracket L the type-wheel is locked lagainst movement in any direction, except toward the platen at the commencement of its oscillating or tilting movement.

An arm, K2, projects from the standard and rests upon a spring, K3, for returning the standard to position after it has been tilted.

It now remains to describe the mechanism employed for selecting a desired printingcharacter in-either section ofthe wheel. De-

pending from the lockingwheel are a series of pins, M, constituting a long pinion fixed tothe IOO IIO

shaft, so that when said pinion is rotated the shaft and the type-wheel will also be rotated. Meshing with the said pins or pinion are two pivoted segments, O and l?, pivoted at N to the bed of the machine. In this instance two segments are used, the one being opposite the other and each meshing with opposite sides of the pinion M, so that when by means ofthe segments said pinion is rotated or partially rotated in one direction one of the segments will move to the front and the other will move to the rear, as indicated by arrows, Fig. 3. The relative proportion ofthe segments to the pinion M is such that a complete movement of one of the segments will give the pinion a. compiete or more than a complete rotation, and so that necessarily the type-wheel shall receive alike movement. New it will readily be seen that by using a portion only of each of the segments to partially rotate the pinion to and fro a desired field or section of the typewheel may be rotated to and fro to bring any one of the printiiig-characters of one of the circumferential lines of characters thereon to the printing-point, and that by means of the lift-ing mechanism heretofore described any one of said lines of characters may he brought to the printing-field; hence by the lifting mechanism and the segments any entire section of the wheel is capable of being operated to present any single cliaracterin that section to the printing-point.

The means for oscillating the segments com prise the following` devices: Each of the segments has an upwardly -projecting pin, Q.

(See Fig. 2 and dotted circles, Fig. 3.) The,

pin, rod, or stud Q of the segment O projects into the path of a cam, R, while the similar pin Q of the segment P projects into the path ofthe cam S. These cams are pivoted at T to a longitudinally-reeiprocative bar, U, secured to the bed A by means of screws U, passing through slots in the bar, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. A lever, U2, pivoted to the bed at U7 and pivotally connected to the bar U, serves to reciprocate the bar, .which is doneby means of a key, U3, Fig. l. The bar U is provided with a V-shaped projection, U4, in which a springdetent, U5, rests, for thepurpose of removably retaining the bnr U in an adjusted position, its adjustment being effected by the lever U2 U3. rthe spring-detent U5 will hold bar U in at least three positions (that shown in Fig. 2 and the extreme right and extreme left adjustments of the bar) by the contact of the detent with the rear edge or points of the projection Ut of the bar. Springs V, fixed to the bar U, bear upon the cams R and S between their free ends and their pivots, so as to yieldingly hold their inclined faces against the pins Q of the segments when pressed rearwardly so as to come in contact with said springs.

The inclined faces of the cams B and S are at least three times longer than the distance through which the pins Q are moved by the segments in performing` theirfunetion of partially rotating the type-wheel over a distance equal to or slightly greater than one printingsection thereof, so that in the use of the complete type-wheel the pins Q are rested upon one or the other ofthe middle or end one third divisions of the inclined faces of the cams.

As represented in Fig. 3, the type-wheel, the pinion, and the segments are in the position which they assume when the printing-section J of the wheel is in use. Now in order to bring the printing-section J'-that is, the lowerease letters-into use the key U3 is moved to the right in Fig. 1, (which will be to the left in Fig. 3, the letters F C S in the former figure indicating iguresH capital letters, and small letters.) The movement of the bar U to the right in Fig. 3 throws the pin Q, of the segment P into a third of the inclined face ofthe cam S, which is at its outer end, and throws the pin Q of the segment O into a third of the length of the cam R, which is at its inner end. This movement of the pins earries the segment O to the rear and the segment P to the front, thus rotating the pinion, typewheel shaft, andtype-wheel, so as to bring a new printing section oft-he latter into the print.

ing field. By au opposite movement of the lever U'l the remaining` section of the typewheel is brought into position.

Now, taking the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 and depressing a"lrey on the rightfor instance, that answering to the letter U-its lever is broughtiirst into connection with the bail H, which, as before stated, is higher at that end of the machine than is the bail I, and therefore is capable of performing a function before the key-lever comes into contact with the bail l. That function is to throw the cam R to the front by means of the arm H3, which projects upwardly and in rear of the cam. The forward movement of the cam, acting on the pin Q, of the segment O, causes it to partially rotate the type-wheel to select as the printing character the type U answering to the hey depressed. New the outlines of the lower edge of the hey-lever and of the upper edge of the feed and lifting hails and of the bail H are such (the letterU being, for example, in the second circumferential line of characters in the type-wheel section employed) that the lifting-bail is also depressed at the same time as is the bail H, so that when the key-lever comes into contact with the bail I its arm t3 is in contact with the cam S; and as the two balls H and I now move downward in unison-that is, as one bail-their arms l3 and H3, pivoted ou the shaft G, are at their inner ends, which project upwardly back of the cams, moved to the front in unison with each other, thus carrying with them the two segments in unison with each other, so that the pinion M and the lower end of the type- Wheel shaft, to which it is secured, are carried to the front with the segments, and the upper end of the shaft,with the typewheel, is carried to the rear against the platen, the center of motion being the pivots in the brackets K', which support the typewheel standard. As

IIO

pressure is removed from the key the parts assume their normal position for another operation, the type-wheel returning to its starting-point, which may be at any point in a printing-section thereof.

An inking-pad, W, (see Fig. 5%) is hung on ythe arm W', pivoted at W2 to a spoke, W, projeetingfrom a hub, Vv, mounted on the standard K of the type-wheel shaft, a spring, W5, acting on the arm IV' to removably retain the inking-pad in contact with the periphery of the type wheel and to permit of the swinging of the pad outwardly and away fromthe type-wheel, so that ink may be applied to the pad. The pin W (sce dotted lines, Fig. 5a) projects downwardly from the spoke V into a slot in the fixed standard W", mounted at the side of the standard K, so that as the standard K and type-wheel are tilted to the front the pin is retained by the slot, and therefore movement o f theinking-pad upon the periphery of the printing-wheel in one direction is secured, and as the said parts are returned to their normal positions a movement in an opposite direction of the pad is secured, whereby the ink is distributed upon the printingchar acters.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and S I employ a single segment, and I dispose it and the pinion in line with the direction of the movement of the pinion M and the typewheel shaft when the type-wheel is inclined to give an impression. Where two segments are employed and arranged at right angles to the direction of the movement bodily of the pinion, there may be more or less lost motion between the-pinion and the segments, whereby accuracy and precision in the type-wheel are reduced. Such precision, however, is secured in the modification which I am about to describe. f

At the lower end of the pivotally-supported standard K is affixed or projected an arm, K2, which has a depending stud or shaft, K3, upon which the segment I? is mounted. This segment has proj ccting from its hub diametrically-opposite arms 1?', which are arranged at right angles to the center line of the segment, and these arms are provided with upwardlyprojecting pins I, which abut against theinclined faces of the cams R and S, and these cams are mounted upon rock-arms R' and S', which are mounted upon the key-shaft D' of the machine. A bail, U, is mounted upon the shaft D', so as to be movable longitudinally thereon, and so as to embrace the cam-rock arms, or by any suitable mechanical connection with said rock-arms to move them longitudinally upon the shaft and yet permit their oscillation upon the shaft. These functions may be performed in the earn-arms R' S' by a key and spline, S2, Fig. 8. The bail U is an equivalent of the bar U, Fig. 3, and is pivoted upon the shaft D', and has, a depending pin or lug, U, which serves to pivotally connect with the bail the lever U2, which is pivoted at any Xed part of the machine at U', so

that by oscillating the free end of the lever U2 the bail and the cams are reciprocated along the shaft, so that the pins Q of the segmentarms P' shall ride against the different portions of the faces of the cams when said cams occupy different positions upon the shaft. For instance, when said rcams are `shifted to the left, Fig. 6, the arms P'will occupy the position indicated by the dotted line P, and the center line of the segment will occupy the position indicated by the dotted line PX, thus bringing a different printing-field of the type-wheel into operation from that when the parts are in the position shown in full lines of said figure. An opposite reci procation of the bail and the cams will bring the third printing-field of the typewheel into position. A double bai-l, H I, is mounted upon the key-shaft D', and is projected to the front beneath the key-levers D and extends across the machine under the entire series of key-levers. Each bail H and I also extends upwardly in rear of and across the rock-arms S' R', respectively, of the cams, so that as the lower edge of each of the keylevers is notched with relation to the position upon the typewheel of the character answering to that of the lever a greater or less depression of the front end of the bail H I and a greater or less oscillation of the cam-arms to the front and against the pins is produced, whereby also a greater or less oscillation of the segment I? upon its pivot K3 is produced, and therefore a greater or less oscillation of the type-wheel is effected to bring the desired character to the printing-field. Acontinuavtion of the pressure of the key-lever D causes the segment, the arm K2, the pinion M, and the shaft J* to advance to the front of the machine, these parts moving about a center which is the point of pivotal support of the standard K. In this movement of the parts the stop J and the locking-bracket L come into action and perform their functions in the manner previously described.

IOO

IIO

Various modifications of detail will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the construction of type-writing machines. For example, the stop J and bracket L' may be adj ustably secured to the bed A, and thus determine the limit of the tilting movement of the typewheel, and therefore the force of its impression against the platen.

As indicated in the preliminary clause of this specification, my invention relates and is applicable to all type-writing machines in which v the printing-characters are mounted upon` the periphery of a wheel or disk, a cylinder or a segment, or any other form of printing device which is mounted pivotally for the purpose of bringing different printing-characters thereon to the printing point. A single cam, as R, may be used to oscillate a segment, P, with an arm, P' Q, and a spring mayserve to return the segment to its normal position.

Speaking of the keys, I use the expression having variedshapes,77 by whichI mean that the different key-levers have notches differently located or of different depths, whereby the movements ofthe double or oppositelyinclined bails are varied in extent when operated by different keys.

No claim is herein made for a type-wheel having a plurality of' independent printingfields and a pinion on its shaft with a segment proportioned to completely rotate the Wheel in a complete oscillation of the segment and cams for confining the oscillation of the segment to a portion of its teeth and for oscillating said segment through said portion only. Nor is any claim made for a type-wheel having a plurality of independent printing-fields having a pinion on its shaft and mounted for tilting a segment proportioned to give a complete revolution of the Wheel at each complete oscillation of said segment, and cams for presenting a limited portion of said segment for use to partially rotate said Wheel, substantially as specified, as these claims appear in a companion application, Serial No. 203,883, filed June l, 1886. r

Having thus described myinvcntion and its operation, what I claim isj l. In a type-Writer ofthe class specified, the combination, with theVtype-Wheel or its described equivalent, of a series of keys, a pivoted segment, a cam for operating the same, connections between the cam and the keys, and connections between the wheel and segment, substantially as specified.

2. T he combination of a type-wheel, its shaft, and a pinion thereon, a pivoted segment, a cam arranged adjacent thereto and movably connected therewith, and a bail connected with the cam and with the keys, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a type-wheel, shaft, and pinion, an oscillating segment meshing with the pinion, independently-movable cams for oscillating the segment,oppositely-inclined hails for moving the cams, and key-levers for operating the double bail, substantially as specified.

it. In a typewriter, a type-wheel mounted on a shaft, in combination With a pivoted standard for the shaft, oppositely -inclined balls, substantially as described, for raising and lowering the shaft, and a swinging segment and cams for tilting the standard, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with the type-wheel and its shaft having peripheral grooves, of a standard pivotally supported for tilting and a fixed stop arranged in front in the direction of the movement of the grooved portion of the shaft when tilted, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with a type-Wheel, its grooved shaft, and a locking-Wheel mounted thereon, of a fixed stop and locking bracket, and mechanism, substantially as described, for elevating and tilting the shaft, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of a type-wheel having a series of circumferentially-disposed printingcharacters on its periphery, its shaft, a pivoted standard for the shaft, a lifting-lever, and a lifting-lever operating-bail, and a series of keys having different shapes to vary the operation of the lifting-lever, substantially as specified.

8. The combination, with a series of keys having varied shapes, of a feed-bail, a liftingbail, and a printing-character selecting-bail, arranged in the order specied, from the keyshaft, whereby the successive functions indicated are successively performed in the depression of each key, substantially as specied.

9. A compound bail comprising two hails, one portion of one projecting above the adjacent portion of the other, whereby the one portion is adapted to perform an independent function and both portions are adapted to perform conjointly a succeeding independent function, substantially as specified.

l0. The combination of a double bail, two independentlymovable cams, and a segment for rotating and tilting the type-Wheel, and key-levers having adjacent to Vthe double bail notches of varied depths, substantially as described, for communicating motion to the parts specified in varied degrees by single key-levers, substantially as specified.

l1.. A-type-Wheel the periphery of which is divided circumferentially into three printingelds, in combination with oppositely-inclined bails and segments and a pinion mounted on the type Wheel shaft, substantially as described, for bringing either field into operative position and for partially rotating the selected field for theselection of individual printingeharacters thereof, substantially as specified.

l2. A type-Wheel the periphery of which is divided into three printing-fields, each having a plurality of circumferential lines of printingcharacters, in combination with double-inclined bails, segments, and a lifting-lever, and a pinion mounted on the type-wheel shaft, substantially as described, for bringing either field into operative position and for elevating said wheel for bringing either line of characters into operation and for partially rotating said Wheel to bring either character in either line into operation, substantially as specified.

13. The combination of a type-Wheel mounted for tilting and having a pinion on its shaft, a segment for rotating said pinion, a cam for determining the relative position of' the segment on the pinion, and mechanism, substantially as'described, for moving the earn and for restricting its movement within a limited portion of the face of the cam, comprising a bail operated by a key-lever, substantially as specified.

14.-. The combination of the type-wheel J, shaft Ji, notched, as at J5, and carrying locking-Wheel L, the pivotallly-supported standard K, locking-bracket L', and shaft-locking lug J 5, substantially as specified.

15. The combination of a tilting type-Wheel having a pinion on its shaft, a segment meshing with said pinion, and cams, substantially as described., for oscillating said segment-and IIO ` 6 seres@ for moving it and said pinion bodily for the purpose of tilting said typ.e=wheel, substantially as specified.

16. The combination of a tilting typewheel having a pinion and locking-wheel on its shaft, a segment for operating said pinion, cams for operating said segment, bails for operating said cams, a locking-bracket, and a series of keys, each different from the other in configuration at points which come in contact with said bails, substantially as specified.

-17. The combination of a type-Wheel, a ser1e s of key-levers of varied outline, a lifting-v bail, and a compound bail, one portion ot'which` variesin outline from the other portion thereof and each portion having a projecting arm, a pair of cams adjacent to said arms and adjacent to the type-Wheel-operating segments,and a lifting-lever adjacent to thelifting-bail and arranged to come in contact with the shaft of4 bar C', of the rock-shaft E2, carrying the feed and check pawls, connecting-rod E', the feedbail E, the keys D, the lifting-bail F, the lifting-lever F2, the compound bail H I, having arms H3 la, the cams R S, the segments O P,

the pinion M, the shaft J4, standard K, and the type-wheel J, substantially as specified.`

2l. The combination of the shaft D', the keys mounted thereon, the compound bail H I, having arms H3 I3, the cams R S, segments O P.

, having the pins Q, and the reciprocating bar U, substantially as specified.

22. The combination ofthe type-shaft,wheel J4, pinion M, segments O P, cams R S, bar U, having projection U, detent U5, and lever U2, substantially as specified.

23. The combination, in a typewriter, of 5o two bails arranged one within the other and one projecting above the other at the ends, substantially as specified.

24C. The combination of two bails, one arranged within and projecting above the other at one end and having an irregular outline, with a series of keys having an irregular outline proportioned to that of the bails, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SPIRO.

Witnesses:

J ULIUs E. LEVY, A. BARONN. 

